Brain surgery can't slow down Holliston artist

For weeks now, friends and family have told Holliston resident and artist Mark Campbell to slow down and rest. After all, he did just have surgery in July to remove a brain tumor. "You can’t slow down when your body is telling you to go," said Campbell, 44. "It’s been a pretty intense ride."

For weeks now, friends and family have told Holliston resident and artist Mark Campbell to slow down and rest.

After all, he did just have surgery in July to remove a brain tumor.

"You can’t slow down when your body is telling you to go," said Campbell, 44. "It’s been a pretty intense ride."

That ride, which started a couple years ago when Campbell first learned about the tumor, has led him to the Dana Hall School Gallery, where about 100 of his digitally-enhanced illustrations are on display. His exhibit will run until Oct. 5 and kicks off the gallery’s 2012-2013 season.

An opening reception is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 18, from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the gallery.

"I’ve always wanted to make someone feel better, or be able to relate," Campbell said of his work. "Every single (print) has a story."

The latest chapter of Campbell’s story began after he hurt his knee playing softball. He went to get the injury checked out, and it was then that doctors determined he had a brain tumor, "about the size of a lime," he was told.

At the time, Campbell had three options: remove the tumor with surgery, shrink it with radiation or just observe the tumor’s growth. After learning insurance wouldn’t cover radiation treatment, Campbell decided to wait and see what the tumor did.

Campbell said he showed no signs or symptoms of the tumor, which was located very close to his eyes.

In June of this year, the tumor had grown to the point that doctors needed to do something, or it had the potential to damage his vision, sense of smell or cause paralysis.

The single father of two went in for surgery on July 25, and checked out of the hospital just three days later.

The tumor was malignant in nature, Campbell said, and while the surgeons got about 96 percent of the tumor out, they will determine in the coming weeks what the next course of action.

"I had the perfect situation of what you want with something like this," said Campbell. "The right kind of tumor, I was healthy, didn’t drink, didn’t smoke and was the right age. I consider myself really blessed."

Before he went in for surgery, Campbell said he recognized the exorbitant cost of surgery and recovery. So he used his doctor’s lime comparison as inspiration for a fundraising campaign that showcases his artistic abilities.

The campaign, called "Limes for Life," features T-shirts and coffee mugs with a lime design Campbell created, a book he wrote to accompany his artwork, and his music.

"I didn’t expect people to respond the way they did," said Campbell. "It is just an unbelievable overwhelming amount of support from people."

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Most of his recovery time has been spent sending products out to people, including two dozen copies of his book and about 70 T-shirts.

He added that "Limes for Life" is not a one-time thing, and he hopes to revisit it soon to raise more money to help others.

The pieces in the Dana Hall exhibit are mostly ones he created before his surgery. He was inspired to get a collection of work together after seeing an exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts. He’s had exhibits at Pejamajo Café in Holliston, as well as the Holliston Public Library.

"It’s insane what you can do with this stuff," said Campbell of technology, including an iPad application he used to make some self-portraits after the surgery.

Even with his positive approach to the situation, Campbell said post-surgery life has not been easy. He said he is tired all the time and can't really drive far distances. His head and face hurt so much after surgery that any facial movement - smiling, yawning, sneezing – was very painful.

He even temporarily lost his sense of smell and sense of taste, which both recently came back.

"The healing is happening," he said.

But the thing that Campbell said hurt the most was the month of summer vacation he lost with his son and daughter.

"If there were ever two supporters through this, they are it," Campbell said.

Despite the pain of surgery and the continued battle Campbell faces, he said if it were not for the tumor, he probably wouldn’t have a show at Dana Hall.

"(The tumor) forced me to write that book and put this show together," he said. "The impetus to do those things was profound because I wasn’t sure what was going to happen after surgery."

Joe O’Connell can be reached at 508-626-3957 or joconnell@wickedlocal.com.